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'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the base
not a creature was stirring, it just wasn't the case. The chests were placed
near the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Notch soon would be there; The
children were nestled all
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snug in their beds; while visions of carrots danced in their
heads; and mamma in her white robe and I in my brown, had finally found time to
simply lay down, when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from
my bed to see what
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was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash,
peering out worried there was some mob to bash. The moon on the breast of the
new-fallen snow, gave a luster of midday to objects below, when what to my
wondering eyes was so funny, but
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a craftable sleigh and eight tiny white bunnies, with a
little old driver so unlikely to botch, I knew in a moment he must be St.
Notch. More rapid than horses his white hairs they came, and he whistled, and
shouted, and called them by name:
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"Now Dasher! now Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On,
Comet! on Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of
the Wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" As leaves that before
the iron shears break, when they meet
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with an obstacle, to the skies they did take; So up to the
housetop the white hairs they flew with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Notch
too - and then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof's fresh snow fall the
quietest padding of each
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little paw. As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Notch came with a bound. He was dressed all in leather,
from his head to his toes, and his clothes were all dyed red like a rose; A
bundle of toys he had stashed
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in his pack, and he looked like a peddler just opening his
sack. His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry! His droll little
mouth was drawn up like a bow, and beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
He had a broad face and a
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little round block belly that shook when he laughed, like a
bowl of slime jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I
laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; a quick crouch of his body and nod
of his head soon gave me to
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know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went
straight to his work, and filled all the chests; then turned with a jerk, and
raising his hand to the height of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he
rose; He sprang to his
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sleigh, to his team gave a call, and away they all flew like
a bat down the hall. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight -
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
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